June 15, 2016

Donald Trump is asking the judge whom he has spent months bashing to do him a favor.

U.S. District Judge Gonzalo P. Curiel, whom Trump has publicly denounced as a "hater," will decide whether to release videos of the presumptive Republican presidential nominee's testifying in a lawsuit against Trump University....

Australia has similar immigration issues. They don't have a land border, but they are very close to Asian nations overcrowded with low skilled workers.Yet, somehow, 90% of Australian citizens claim European ancestry. How is that possible? Don't they realize that they are a nation of immigrants? That importing millions of low paid, low skilled workers will boost their economy?

NBC says he's not a member of "La Raza", or any "Hispanic" or "Latino" favoritism group.

Trump had referred to Curiel as "Mexican" last week — a description that some Latinos say was meant to be disparaging....Curiel [...] said that it was useful that he and other prosecutors were of Mexican descent and could speak Spanish.

"When it comes down to it, this [extradition of cartel henchmen] involves the country of our parents," Curiel told the newspaper.

Why not discuss the relative merits of releasing or not releasing videos and other evidence? Isn't that what's relevant here?

Of course Trump is going to say any release is "unfair" just as sure as the sun rises in the East. But rather than indulge his tired refrain, how about we decide if the Judge's actions are unusual or what basis in law he has for them? For all the ink spilled over Trump's dumb "Mexican" comment there's been very little analysis as to whether the release is justified.

How uncommon/common is it to release videos of these things? I know Judicial Watch routinely releases transcripts of depositions and the like for the current Clinton caper, but I thought that was abnormal, and only because they cared to go through the effort to do it.

The media is so bias its ridiculous at this point. This morning you've got the WashingtonPost.com saying that Trump claimed Obama had something to do with the shootings, which is absolutely not true. I'm not saying I support Trump, but when you've got websites soliciting poll votes against him (like http://trumpfeedback.com/) you really can't trust anything you read anymore. Its depressing.

What does the judge have to say about the details that have been uncovered? That the guy pushing the suit is a pal of his at the same Lawyer's group (he was on the committee to select the illegal to receive their scholarship). Or that he has paid Hillary $250k to give talks. Would he prefer resigning to impeachment? Those are the questions NBC should ask. The judge.

Once let's be fair and balanced. Let's release Hillary's 1994 draft indictment and the evidence that's been suppressed in the Clinton U fraud matter that Bill got paid $16million from a tranch of money granted by the State Dept while Hillary was secretary. Since the main plaintiff has withdrawn why hasn't this judge dismissed the case? The judge should also release the plaintiffs statements praising Trump U and the DoJ should release Hillary's IT guy's immunity deal.

I'm not a fan of Trump and I didn't like his reference to the judge being, we believe, Mexican, which is great.

That said, I was floored at the wall-to-wall coverage of the crisis that was Trump's remark about Judge Curiel. I was traveling this past weekend and the hotel had the lobby TV on CNN. By the third day I thought, Is this really that important? Only the massacre in Orlando knocked it off of Our Top Story. Until then it was News: Donald Trump calls judge Mexican; Analysis: Is Donald Trump racist for calling a U.S.-born judge Mexican? Opinion: Hell yes he is! News: [second verse, same as the first].

It was almost as if they wanted to see if they could make it stick, make this The Time He Finally Went Too Far. But I know they're too fair to try to do something like that.

Crooked Judges are the rule. Honest Judges are few and far between because they have a power to corrupt without restraint, unless a rare litigant victim arises who can afford to fight the scam despite a losing cost benefit analysis on the case.

Trump is that rare one who is willing to spend the money to fight this corrupt scam Judge's Class Action racquet. He is willing to spend his money because he is fighting to win a Presidential election for you and me.

I've heard commentators observe that he hasn't asked for the judge to recuse himself.'

Whatever remedy Trump may or may not have requested, CG's point is that Trump has not objected to the judge's ancestry, he has objected to the judge's membership in openly and explicitly racist political advocacy groups. Joining a group with "La Raza" in its name does seem to indicate a rather idiosyncratic approach to judicial impartiality.

Like, suppose you're the plaintiff in the case, and you just happen to be Afro-American. Luck of the draw, right? And you notice that the judge's robe is all white. And he's wearing this pointy hood, with these weird, eerie-looking eyeholes in it. And instead of a flag, he's got a gigantic burning cross in his courtroom. And the bailiff keeps sloshing kerosene on it ...

Wouldn't you agree, that in a supposedly multi-racial and multi-cultural society, a judge's membership in an organization that openly asserts the primacy of his race over all others is entirely appropriate, and indeed should hardly excite comment of any kind?

Slightly off-topic, I suppose, but I've spent a little time in Mexico. Do you have any idea what the Policia would do with a bunch of gringos who showed up at a PRD rally in Chilpancingo waving US flags and throwing huevos at their women?

Jupiter said...Wouldn't you agree, that in a supposedly multi-racial and multi-cultural society, a judge's membership in an organization that openly asserts the primacy of his race over all others is entirely appropriate, and indeed should hardly excite comment of any kind?

Do you understand that Judge Curiel is not a member of such a society?

traditionalguy said...Crooked Judges are the rule. Honest Judges are few and far between because they have a power to corrupt without restraint, unless a rare litigant victim arises who can afford to fight the scam despite a losing cost benefit analysis on the case.

Trump is that rare one who is willing to spend the money to fight this corrupt scam Judge's Class Action racquet. He is willing to spend his money because he is fighting to win a Presidential election for you and me.

I don't think I am aware of where you practice law. Federal judges, as a rule, are not "crooked." At least not where I practice (in the Sixth Judicial Circuit). There are judges I like, and some I dislike. Most of the ones I like were Republican nominees; but not all. Most of the ones I dislike are Democrat nominees; but not all. I cannot think of a single federal District or Circuit judge anywhere in the entire Sixth Circuit to whom I would feel comfortable applying a label of "crooked."

To be sure, serious Movement Conservatives in American law have had lots of complaints about lots of liberal judges, their decisions, and lots of complaints about liberals' nominations to the federal bench, and about Senate Democrats' handling of federal judicial confirmations. We in the Federalist Society have been engaged in that fight for much, much longer than Donald Trump has even registered as a Republican voter.

About the Trump University litigation: have you read Donald Trump's deposition in that case? It is a textbook example of what not to do as a civil defendant. Trump was a laughingstock in that transcript. While the Trump University sales promotions advertised a teaching faculty "hand picked" by Mr. Trump, in his deposition Trump admitted that he had never met many of the "faculty."

JPS wrote: It was almost as if they wanted to see if they could make it stick, make this The Time He Finally Went Too Far. But I know they're too fair to try to do something like that.

Many on the media including "The New York Times" and the "Washington Post" are engaged in friendly version of trying to land the "Time He Went To Far" scoop. They will not cease and desist until after the election. If he wins, they will switch to bringing him down. There will be no Damascene conversion for them, ever. To them, Trump threatens their rice bowl; in reality, he will keep them fed with news stories and livelihood. But, they will have to work after an eight year hiatus and they resent that.

Sorry, you are wrong. Judge Curiel is not a member of the National Council of La Raza. The group to which Judge Curiel has been a member is a different organization. Organized separately; with different boards; different policies; different missions; different memberships.

I have made this analogy before; saying that the San Diego La Raza lawyers association is like saying the St. Louis Cardinals and the Arizona Cardinals are the same. No; they have different owners; they play different sports, in different leagues, with different players, in different cities.

This is why I want nothing to do with Trump and his supporters, and why I wish you'd all just steer clear of the Republican party. Everybody can have their own opinions; that's fine. But everybody cannot have their own facts.

Chuck said...Sorry, you are wrong. Judge Curiel is not a member of the National Council of La Raza. The group to which Judge Curiel has been a member is a different organization. Organized separately; with different boards; different policies; different missions; different memberships.

You didn't understand my comment because that's not what I wrote. But, that's what you wanted me to write so that you could deny it. It's what you do, Chuck.

The La Raza Lawyer's Association the judge belongs to linked to National Council of La Raza ON ITS BLOODY WEBSITE.

They're both named La Raza.

Use some of that damned common sense I know you still have a shred of, Chuck. Or do you need a peer reviewed study for these bloody obvious facts? Yeah, I'm sure these two groups named La Raza, that link to each other, share no overlap.

Here's some advice, Chuck: NEVER attempt to become any sort of professional detective. You'd make Inspector Clouseau look like Sherlock Holmes.

Then say what you want to say, and be clear about it, chickelit. Don't toss out these vague shit-eating teaser allegations and then whine about how you were just raising questions.

Judge Curiel is not a member of any organization that would, or should, or will disqualify him from hearing the Trump University fraud trial.

Trump has said very specifically that Judge Curiel should recuse himself. But Trump's lawyers haven't made such a motion, and they know much better than the non-lawyer Trump does, what a weak and pointless loser of a motion that would be.

TCom -- If what you suggest had any merit at all, then it really ought to be such a simple matter for Trump's lawyers to move for a recusal. They could bring it before the Chief Judge of the Southern District, and not Judge Curiel. But they haven't, and they won't, because all of this recusal talk is nonsense.

If what you suggest had any merit at all, then it really ought to be such a simple matter for Trump's lawyers to move for a recusal. They could bring it before the Chief Judge of the Southern District, and not Judge Curiel. But they haven't, and they won't, because all of this recusal talk is nonsense.

In the court of public opinion, it might be better to alert the jury that the Judge has leftist bias.

The National Council of La Raza is not the same as The La Raza San Diego Lawyers Association. They are different groups. They are not the same. The National Council of La Raza does provocative politics. The San Diego Lawyers Association doesn't.

I have read, also, that the Ku Klux Klan San Diego Lawyers Association is in fact quite fond of blacks and Jews, not to be confused with the National Council of Ku Klux Klans which takes a rather different tack.

Why the KKKSDLA seems to have named itself after the NCoKKK, I suppose is anyone's guess. Maybe it's one of those fraternal society things I've never really understood because as a non-member I'm not meant to.

I have made this analogy before; saying that the San Diego La Raza lawyers association is like saying the St. Louis Cardinals and the Arizona Cardinals are the same. No; they have different owners; they play different sports, in different leagues, with different players, in different cities.

La Raza is La Raza, whether it’s a bunch of rioters or a bunch of lawyers.

This is why I want nothing to do with Trump and his supporters, and why I wish you'd all just steer clear of the Republican party.

I’m wondering; why would the presumptive Republic party nominee for POTUS ever steer clear of the Republican party? Anyone else see this as weird? It’s like asking LeBron James to “steer clear” of the NBA.

Judge Curiel is not a member of any organization that would, or should, or will disqualify him from hearing the Trump University fraud trial.

I think Curiel, the La Raza judge, should allow another judge to judge the case. It’s said that a judge should avoid even the appearance of bias but here we have more than mere appearance, we have actual membership in a La Raza organization, an organization whose members riot when Trump attempts to hold a rally.

BTW, as a Trump supporter my first instinct is to thank Curiel and the rest of La Raza for the rioting because rioting La Razas create more voters for Trump, but after due reflection we just hope no one gets injured by the La Raza rioters.

Trump has an appearance in San Antonio coming up where there’s lots of La Raza. It would be a nice gesture if judge Curiel would issue a calming statement to La Raza asking his fellow La Razas to tone it down and be less violent in their protests.

I definitely think Curiel should recuse himself and I think even an apology would be appropriate - for not recusing himself sooner.

Readers, here we have a commentor who continually attacks Trump. But he’s NOT a Hillary supporter. No, no, don’t think THAT for a second! He just comments like one, that’s all. It’s one of those inexplicable coincidences that this commentor always attacks Trump. Life is full of these puzzlers.